Forever Unsaid
by skysedge
Summary: There was nothing left for Leon now, not after this. Shaking, he felt a fear unlike anything he had previously experienced. He didn’t consider that perhaps he was destined for a future different from that of a hero. LeonxLuis


_**A/N **__Hi there, RE section! I've been hiding away in a small, dark corner of for a long time but have finally been coaxed out by a pairing that is truly wonderful.__** There needs to be more LeonxLuis fics. **__ I've put off writing this for a long time but here it finally begins and I'm sort of scared! If you hadn't guessed, __**yes, this is slash, BL, yaoi, malexmale bonding whatever the hell you want to call it. Don't like it? Don't waste your time by reading. Simples.**_

_**Dedication; to my beloved Cap'n, **_**Taker-took-my-Toys. **_**This would never have been translated into words without her.**_

_**Disclaimer; **__Surprisingly, I do not own RE or any characters and am making no money from this in any way, shape or form. Lyrics at the start of every chapter will be from 'From Where You Are' by Lifehouse and the lyrics at the end of every chapter will be from 'Clevermind' by Poets of the Fall and, no, I don't own those either._

_-x-_

_So far away from where you are__  
__These miles have torn us worlds apart__  
__And I miss you_

-x-

That year, the third year, the flowers were orange of a particular shade so bright that they seemed to burn without flames, searing themselves into the brain without ever really passing through the eyes. They were the colour of ripe fruit, the colour of a scorching sunset...the exact shade of the sweatshirt she used to wear. It seemed fitting, somehow.

After laying the flowers gently on the grave Leon Kennedy stepped back and looked at them silently, expression unreadable. He did not bother speaking to her; after all, she wasn't there. No one had been able to recover her body, another thing he had never truly forgiven himself for. After a few moments, he turned his eyes upwards and sighed deeply. The light was fading and clouds chased across the sky casting the cemetery in twilight, a comforting darkness rather than the grey half-light that haunted Leon almost every time he closed his eyes. Almost every time.

Not this time. As he closed his eyes now his mind was filled with the soft light and warmth of the afternoon sun and he could almost hear a voice murmuring to him in lilting tones. Forcing himself to remember, the shadows in the corners of his mind were chased away by the sound of laughter and the softness of dark hair against his cheek. The guilt remained in his heart but guilt of a different kind entirely. Regret wrapped it's tendrils around his heart and he shook his head for the hundredth time at his own idiocy. He felt vaguely blasphemous at remembering such instances at this place, at this time and yet could not help himself. He had been forgiven for the guilt that smothered him in icy waves whenever he saw the name carved into the grey headstone but there was only one person who could forgive him for his other mistake and that person was on another continent.

By the time the cemetery was fully dark, Leon had left. The flowers seemed to glow in the darkness. Miles away, in his own bed, Leon lay awake and was powerless to stop the flood of memories.

-x-

"I forgot something, you guys go on ahead."

Before he had even finished speaking, Luis Sera had crossed to the door of the cabin and was striding out into the darkness. Leon had spoken without thinking.

"Luis!" No reply, not even a glance back. Once again, Leon's tongue had run away from him. "Don't go."

To Leon's surprise, the Spaniard stopped walking. Maybe it was the choice of words that had done the trick or perhaps the slight hint of desperation that Leon hadn't expected to creep into his voice. Or perhaps Luis was _looking_ for a reason to stop. Whatever the reason, he stood motionless before the open doorway and spoke without turning.

"Why?"

Leon glanced at Ashley who was still halfway up the stairs before shrugging.

"It's not safe out there," he suggested half-heartedly, expecting the quick reply he received.

"It's not safe in there either, now is it?"

"Well no but...you could do with a rest, right?" Leon persisted.

Laughing derisively, Luis shook his head, back still to the door. "I doubt I'll be getting any of that any time soon, whether I stay here or not."

Leon opened his mouth to speak and frowned, unsure as to why he was being so persistent and so unable to think of a good reason to detain the man. All he knew for sure was that seeing Luis walk away again upset him on some level and that was reason enough to get him to stay. Glancing again at Ashley, who now looked very confused, Leon tried again.

"It'd be nice to have the company," he said, tone almost gentle.

Leon saw a smile twitch the corner of Luis' lips at the last comment. He shook his head and muttered something in his own language before turning to look into the darkness on his left as though searching for something. His smile widened and he turned back to face the cabin.

"You're right about that one," he said before stepping smartly back inside, shutting the door behind him a little forcefully.

Once back inside, he sauntered over to the wooden table and leant back on it, stretching his long legs out before him. Leon watched, silently, mind not quite up to speed on what he had just done. He didn't know this man, not really. He supposed that being tied back to back with someone and then almost repeating the position later in a room full of bullets and blood helped two people along the road to having a bond of some sort. Something like friendship but not as warm. Something like comradeship but not as restricted. Something _different_.

"So," Luis said sharply, cutting through Leon's thoughts. "What do we do now?"

"Sleep?" Ashley suggested, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. The slender blonde stumbled a little as she walked towards the men, obviously exhausted. Dark circles ringed her eyes and she seemed pale and drawn.

"You can sleep, princess," Luis said smartly, before Leon had a chance to reply. "After you tell me one thing."

Ashley yawned hugely before asking, "What?"

Leon couldn't help but smile as Luis asked his question.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything to smoke, would you?"

Ashley rolled her eyes impetuously. "Of course not. Can I go to sleep yet, Leon?"

Leon nodded. "Sure. Don't try use any of the furniture in this place though, you'll probably catch something."

The girl nodded before turning and climbing the stairs unsteadily. Leon watched her go, a fond smile on his lips. Once she was out of sight, he felt a sharp prod in his side and turned to see Luis wearing a similar expression to his own.

"She's a brave girl, huh?" he said softly. Leon nodded.

"She has to be."

"Mm," Luis nodded. He sighed before scooting himself back along the table in order to lie on it, legs dangling off the end. Leon watched in amusement as he wriggled for a few moments trying to find a spot that wasn't painful.

"Comfortable?" Leon asked dryly.

"Not at all," Luis replied instantly but didn't stand up. He raised a long-fingered hand to his forehead and covered his eyes.

After a moment, Leon moved to lean against the wall of the cabin before sliding down the wall to ease the fatigue in his leg muscles. He stifled a yawn and forced himself to watch his companion in order to fight off the waves of drowsiness which threatened to engulf him. Everything ached and he felt weary, not only in body but in mind too. He longed for nothing more than a comfy couch to lounge on, a radio playing quietly and the gentle rumble of ordinary civilisation. As it was, the wind howled around the thin cabin walls and an almost tense silence filled the interior. Leon could sense that Luis was worrying about something despite not being able to see his features and felt the need to try and help. It wasn't that he was keen to be a comforter, he had been comforting Ashley almost non-stop after all. It was more that he felt the man before him had concerns far greater than his own and now, since Leon himself had forced the other man to stay, he felt vaguely guilty.

"You alright?"

Luis sighed and dropped the hand shielding his eyes to hang loosely off the side of the table. He stared at the ceiling, eyes devoid of the hint of amusement that seemed to perpetually light them.

"Don't worry about me, amigo," he said at length, voice low. "I was just thinking. This whole mess is so stupid, you know that? It's such a waste."

"A waste?" Leon repeated, failing to bite back the words. He knew he often repeated other people and that it could be exceedingly irritating yet it was a habit hard to break. "What do you mean?" he added.

"You're being wasted here, Leon," Luis said calmly, still gazing upwards. "You and the girl. You should be somewhere where everyone can see you, somewhere that could be the setting for one of those epic action movies, you know? Where she could be a real princess and you could be the proper hero. No one will want to talk about what goes on here, no matter what you do."

Leon smiled, slightly bemused. "So...a chance to make a blockbuster hit is being wasted?"

"No," Luis said sharply, before laughing a little. "It was just the first thing I could think of. I'll let you know when I've worked it out properly."

Leon blinked a few times before sighing himself. "You're a strange one, Luis."

The Spaniard groaned and raised the hand to his eyes again, but his lips were smiling. "Stop butchering my name already. I speak to you in your language, the least you can do is learn to say my name."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Alright. Teach me."

For the next few minutes, the two men sounded like a broken record albeit one which slowly rose in volume and in irritation. Finally, Luis threw his hands up in defeat.

"Ah, forget it! Call me whatever you want. Although that last one wasn't too bad."

Leon shook his head, smiling. "You're lying."

"Well, a little bit," Luis conceded. "I'd like to make it clear that I am _not_ called 'Louise', thank you very much. I happen to be very confident in my masculinity, and I-"

"_Leon!"_

Time seemed to freeze as the scream cut through the air. For a moment, Leon was motionless and the silence that filled the room was almost palpable, a heavy silence that only follows in the wake of an unwelcome noise. The moment ended and Leon sprang to his feet, tired muscles screaming at him in protest. He raced up the stairs oblivious to everything except the noises of struggle he could now hear from the upstairs room that had eluded him before. He reached the top of the stairs in time to see a pair of brown boots vanish out of sight below the window frame, followed by a thumping sound from below.

"Ashley!" he shouted, deaf to his own cries and rushed to the window. Peering out into the darkness frantically, he could see a pale shape sprawled on the grass. Ashley was lying spread-eagled on the grass. Beside her lay a ladder that had evidently been raised silently but fallen as she struggled to stay in the room. Beside her lay a ragged figure, a Ganado who had fallen with her. As Leon watched, it shook its limbs and stood before clumsily grabbing the girl and slinging her over its shoulder. It started to run away into the night and Leon took aim without hesitation, not able to remember exactly when he had grabbed his gun.

He focused on the Ganado's head and began to squeeze the trigger. The world narrowed to the void between himself and Ashley and he was blind to everything else, a tactic that had always served him well. Until now.

"Leon, what's going on?"

The voice cut through his concentration as his finger squeezed firmly and he felt the shot go wide. This time, there was no moment of timelessness, no time to feel anxious or afraid. Instead, there was just the noise of the gunshot ripping through the air closely followed by a distant thump as Ashley was torn from the Ganado's grip. From the window, Leon could clearly see the dark stain blossoming from her chest.

Luis joined him at the window as the would-be kidnapper rushed away. His dark eyes spotted the pale figure in the darkness instantly.

"Shit," he said weakly for lack of better words to say.

Leon had no words. He stood and gazed at the blood that was black in the darkness as his future crumbled before him. He had failed. He had let his guard down for a few minutes and failed utterly. There was nothing left for him now, not after this. Shaking, he felt a fear unlike anything he had previously experienced.

He didn't consider that perhaps he was destined for a future different from that of a hero.

-x-

_Look, the leaves are dead..._

-x-

**A/N **_Well, that was terrifying. Please review and let me know what you think! Cookies of the virtual variety for all. _

_Sorryll x_


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